The present invention relates generally to agricultural machinery and, more particularly, to an agricultural harvesting machine with at least one adapting device for receiving a front attachment according to the introductory part of claim 1.
An agricultural harvesting machine of this kind is disclosed in DE 198 47 891, where the agricultural harvesting machine is constructed as a forage harvester and the front attachment is a crop-collecting and conveying pick-up. The working components at the front of the harvesting machine take over the crop from the front attachment and are constructed as feed rollers. A reversing device reverses the direction of rotation of the feed components, thus minimizing damage to the working components of the harvesting machine caused by foreign bodies. On operation of the reversing device, the feed rollers convey the crop out of the front region of the harvesting machine and transfer it to the front attachment, which is adapted to the harvesting machine in the front region. In order to avoid blockages or damage in the region of the working components of the front attachment caused by the foreign bodies located in the crop, DE 198 47 891 discloses a control system which ensures that the cross conveying member is always lifted before the reversing device cuts in and the crop interspersed with foreign bodies is conveyed out of the harvesting machine. An essential drawback to this reversing process is that, in addition to the crop, the foreign body or bodies are always conveyed back into the front attachment. Thus, to avoid the foreign bodies being fed into the harvesting machine requires removing the foreign bodies from the front attachment. As a rule this is done by the driver of the harvesting machine by interrupting the harvesting process, leaving the harvesting machine and manually removing the foreign bodies from the front attachment. The desire of the operator to have a reasonable service life for the machine in this case reduces the productivity of the agricultural harvesting machine considerably.
Furthermore there is an increase in the risk of injury to the person removing the foreign bodies, as they must often put their hands between the working components of the front attachment while performing this task.
In accordance with the present invention an agricultural harvesting machine is disclosed. The harvesting machine includes an adapting device for receiving a front attachment and a mechanically adjustable reversing device which is associated with at least one of a plurality of working components of the agricultural harvesting machine, which are at the front of the harvesting machine, relative to the direction of travel, wherein the front attachment, which is received by the adapting device, is movable by a displacement means into a non-working position which is at a distance from said working components and which forms a gap for passage of crop between the front attachment and said working components.
It is an aspect of the invention to provide an agricultural harvesting machine of the kind generally described hereinbefore, which overcomes the drawbacks of the machines known in the art. This aspect is accomplished particularly due to the fact that in the present invention, the foreign bodies located in the crop stream and conveyed back during reversal no longer pass into the front attachment.
The front attachment, which is received by at least one adapting device of the harvesting machine, is movable by at least one displacement means into a non-working position. This non-moving position is located at a distance from the working components of the agricultural machine, which are at the front of the machine in the direction of travel. This allows for a gap through which crop passes between the front attachment and these working components. The crop stream is conveyed out of the agricultural harvesting machine during the reversing process and is interspersed with one or more foreign bodies that can flow down in the direction of the ground via the through-gap created between the front attachment and the working components of the agricultural harvesting machine. Thus, the foreign bodies conveyed back during the reversing process no longer pass into the front attachment, thereby obviating need to perform the time consuming and dangerous task of manually removing the foreign bodies from the front attachment.
One advantageous preferred embodiment of the invention features a design which is structurally simple and includes a front attachment which can be pivoted into the non-working position about a shaft received by the adapting device of the agricultural harvesting machine. This shaft points transversely to the direction of travel.
In order to be able to continue to support a portion of the weight of the front attachment on the ground while the front attachment is brought into the non-working position, a further advantageous embodiment of the invention features a displacement of the front attachment, relative to the working components of the agricultural harvesting machine.
A structurally simple design of the pivotable front attachment on the agricultural harvesting machine is achieved if the adapting device of the agricultural harvesting machine, which forms the pivot shaft pointing transversely to the direction of travel, is positioned on the top side of the front attachment.
The displacement means which triggers the change of position of the front attachment can advantageously be associated with the front attachment on the top or bottom side, thus providing for a space-saving arrangement.
In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the displacement means can be constructed as a single-acting or double-acting lifting cylinder, thus allowing for problem-free integration in the hydraulic circuit already existing on the carrier vehicle.
In another embodiment of the invention, the displacement means can be coupled to the control unit of the reversing device, thus ensuring, in a structurally simple manner, that the front attachment is already pivoted into its non-working position before the reversing process begins. The control unit of the reversing device is activated by an input signal X1 to be triggered by the driver of the harvesting machine. The control unit thereupon automatically generates an output signal Y1 in the form of pressurization of the displacement means and, with time staggering, an output signal Y2 for switching on the reversing device.
In yet another advantageous embodiment of the invention, the displacement means can be formed by an inexpensive single-acting lifting cylinder, wherein the front attachment pivots back from the non-working position into the working position by force of gravity alone. When single-acting lifting cylinders are used, an end-position locking system known in the art can be provided between the front attachment and the agricultural harvesting machine to ensure that the front attachment is reliably fixed upon the agricultural harvesting machine while in the working position.
In order to be able to dispense with an additional end-position locking system, while retaining fixing of the front attachment in the working position, a further advantageous embodiment of the invention includes a displacement means constructed as a double-acting lifting cylinder, which remains continuously under pressure in the working position of the front attachment and ensures that the front attachment is fixed in the working position. Also, a displacement of the front attachment relative to the working components of the agricultural harvesting machine can be achieved in a structurally simple manner by means of double-acting lifting cylinders.
In the interest of minimizing the risk of injury to persons and the wear on the front attachment during the change of position of the front attachment, another preferred embodiment of the invention provides for the ability to shutdown the drive of the front attachment during movement into the non-working position and back. At its simplest, shutdown of the drive of the front attachment is carried out by quick-release coupling systems known in the art and integrated in the drive.
In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the need to shutdown the drive during the change of position of the front attachment is eliminated. In this preferred embodiment, at least one telescopic universal drive shaft known in the art is associated with the drive train.
As the aerodynamic trajectory of the crop conveyed out of the agricultural harvesting machine during the reversing process depends substantially on the nature of the crop and the weight of the foreign bodies located therein, an advantageous development of the invention includes, in the rear region of the front attachment, a crop deflector which ensures that crop flies into the front attachment, free of all foreign bodies. In order to assist the crop impinging on the crop deflector to flow down, the crop deflector can be constructed as an angle plate, which is advantageously mounted on the front attachment so as to be releasable and hence easy to exchange as it wears.